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Sometimes, being in a calm setting with the rays of sunshine of summer, surrounded by flower turning into fruits, is enough for Tomoe to enjoy herself. It’s when she feels the most at peace with herself, far from the constant beeps and talks from Resurgam and far from all the duties she’s had to bear on her shoulders against her will for so long back in her home estate.
It’s the kind of situations in which she can think about what’s happened so far and look back on things. In fact, it’s the ideal situation in which to do so because it encourages thinking in a rational and calm manner. No deadline, no rush, no emergency: this is a failsafe environment and it’s all she could wish for, at times.
Summer is a time of delight, she thinks. A lot of people would say spring is the best season because of its atmosphere of rebirth. She does agree with the sentiment, of course, but summer has a whole other meaning that matters more to her: it’s the phase where the rebirth proves successful and where its winter-like aspects have been ironed out by the sunlight. Of course, at times, it gets too warm for comfort; but that’s passion, she thinks, passion for the newly found warmth of spring compared to winter.
It’s perhaps because, as far as she’s seen, people seem happier in summer. They think of spending the holidays with their children because the season is ruled by long school holidays and of all the outdoor activities they haven’t done yet during the year (swimming outside, hiking, going to the beach… she’s heard a lot of them over time). Even at work, the mood seems a bit lighter, perhaps because even her colleagues think of the sunny season and have looked forward to it.
As to her, summer is simply the season where she can laze around at home with her partners, watching over Maria as she tries to handle a bow (and usually gets easily frustrated, but that frustration adds to her motivation and that’s why it’s so interesting and endearing to watch her) and Erhard as he attempts to give her advice because he, on the other hand, managed to understand the basics fairly easily once she had taught them to him.
She may seem like she just idles during all of her break time because of this, but Tomoe believes it can only do her good to take some rest before she has to go to work again, especially if she can spend that “inactive” time with the people she loves the most in the world. (Maria would most likely call her “sappy” for thinking that, but then she’d tightly hug her and kiss her, and it’s worth being “sappy” if you ask her).
Not too long ago, Tomoe thought she’d never see herself sharing a place with a quick-witted, hot-headed paramedic and an introverted, well-meaning surgeon along with Hanzou, because Hanzou is just as much part of her loved ones with Maria and Erhard. She has different relationships to each (Maria is her lovely girlfriend, Erhard is a very close friend of hers and Hanzou truly is a member of her family, the closest she’s ever had to one in fact), but they all matter in their very special way to her, and having all of them around is what makes her current life so delightful.
They’re all people who accepted her for who she was, after all. Maria opened up to her over time when they found they had more things in common than they thought (and found themselves attracted to what was the opposite of themselves), Erhard has always been non-judgemental from his troubled past, and Hanzou simply seems to have unconditional familial love for her. When she came out to him about her doubts and what she thought it could mean – and she knew her father wouldn’t be pleased –, all he told her was that he’d always be by her side no matter what.
Well, he did forget to tell her he’d arrange for meetings with Maria, and make grand preparations for any sort of dates, and neutralize anyone who’d tell them something – things she should’ve expected coming from him because she just knows Hanzou isn’t the sort to half-do anything, but appreciated even more since she hadn’t seen it coming.
What more can she ask for? Her job is stable and fulfilling, she made it through an epidemic with the help of her truly devoted colleagues, she found love (both romantic and platonic) and now gets to appreciate a nice summer with all of them. There were hardships to overcome for that (such as Rosalia’s and, of course, having to confess to Maria that she saw her as much more than a colleague – luckily, the first was vanquished and the second went over superbly), yet they all felt like they were worth it. In fact, she’d go as far as to say they weren’t that bad compared to the reward at the end of them.
She doesn’t quite know what Maria or Erhard think of that, but they don’t seem like they have vastly different opinions than hers on the matter. Maria has even been ostensibly excited for the good season to come, saying she’d teach Erhard how to swim and show Tomoe the best spots she knows where you can hike or do exercise in general. Erhard, on the other hand, has stockpiled books he wanted to read outside. He’s been too eager to get to know more of the outside for either Maria nor Tomoe to refuse him anything on the matter… even if they may have to travel out of state in a car for that one of these days. Oh well: a promise is a promise.
Just for these reasons, summer is a great season, Tomoe thinks. Perhaps her favourite, even, when she can have days like this one. It’s simply too warm not to appreciate it.